Composite image by Karthik Easvur.
Read more: What are star trails, and how can I capture them?
Composite image by Karthik Easvur.
Read more: What are star trails, and how can I capture them?
View larger. | Artists’ concept of a Dyson sphere. Notice the little moon or planet on the left side, being ravaged for raw materials. This image – called Shield World Construction – is by Adam Burn. More about it here. Via FantasyWallpapers.com.
When contemplating extraterrestrial intelligence, one of the most tantalizing ideas is that a super-advanced alien civilization could build an enormous structure around its home star, to collect a significant portion of the star’s energy. This hypothetical megastructure is popularly known as a Dyson sphere. It’s a sci-fi-sounding concept, but some scientists have also seriously considered it. This week, a story emerged about how the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission – whose primary purpose is to create a 3D map of our Milky Way galaxy – might be instrumental in the search for Dyson spheres.
In the past, searches for Dyson spheres have focused on looking for signs of excess infrared or heat radiation in the vicinity of a star. That would be a telltale signature, but those attempts have come up empty, so far. The new peer-reviewed study – which was published in the Astrophysical Journal on July 18, 2018, and later described in Astrobites – proposes looking for Dyson spheres with little or no infrared excess. In other words, it describes a technique not attempted before.
Erik Zackrisson at Uppsala University in Sweden led the new study. It focuses on a type of Dyson sphere that would’ve been missed by prior searches focused on infrared radiation.
Suppose you were looking toward a Dyson sphere. What would you see? The visible light of the star would be reduced significantly since the Dyson sphere itself – by its nature – would mostly surround the star for purposes of energy collection. The star would continue shining; it would be shining on the inner portion of the Dyson sphere. Presumably, the star’s radiation would heat the sphere. According to earlier thoughts by scientists on the subject, a Dyson sphere should have a temperature between 50 and 1,000 Kelvin. At that temperature, radiation from the sphere would peak in infrared wavelengths.
That was the earlier idea, until Zackrisson’s study.
An all-sky view of the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies from the Gaia mission. This view includes measurements of nearly 1.7 billion stars. Image via Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC)/A. Moitinho/A. F. Silva/M. Barros/C. Barata – University of Lisbon, Portugal/H. Savietto – Fork Research, Portugal.
His study suggests the possibility that the sphere might be composed of a different kind of material than what had been previously supposed. Suppose this material had the ability to dim the star’s light equally at all wavelengths? That would make it a so-called gray absorber and would significantly affect methods used to search for Dyson spheres. If you measured the star’s distance spectrophotometrically – by comparing the star’s observed flux and spectrum to standard stellar emission models – then the measurements would suggest that the star is farther away than it actually is.
But then if you measured the star’s distance using the parallax method, you’d get a different number. The parallax method compares the apparent movement of a nearby against the star background, as Earth moves from one side of its orbit to another across a period of, say, six months. The size of a Dyson sphere could be determined by comparing the difference in distances between these two methods. The greater the difference, the greater the amount of the star’s surface that is being obscured by the sphere.
Now, thanks to new data from the Gaia mission, astronomers can do these kinds of comparisons, which could – in theory – detect a Dyson sphere. From the new study:
A star enshrouded in a Dyson sphere with a high covering fraction may manifest itself as an optically subluminous object with a spectrophotometric distance estimate significantly in excess of its parallax distance. Using this criterion, the Gaia mission will in coming years allow for Dyson sphere searches that are complementary to searches based on waste-heat signatures at infrared wavelengths. A limited search of this type is also possible at the current time, by combining Gaia parallax distances with spectrophotometric distances from ground-based surveys. Here, we discuss the merits and shortcomings of this technique and carry out a limited search for Dyson sphere candidates in the sample of stars common to Gaia Data Release 1 and Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) Data Release 5. We find that a small fraction of stars indeed display distance discrepancies of the type expected for nearly complete Dyson spheres.
In other words, using this new method, astronomers have found candidate Dyson sphere stars.
Graph showing distribution of covering fractions for all stars in the Gaia-RAVE database overlap (left) and just those stars with less than 10% error in their Gaia parallax distance and less than 20% error in their RAVE spectrophotometric distance (right). If the parallax distance is smaller than the spectrophotometric distance, that is interpreted this as a negative covering fraction, and could be an indication of a Dyson Sphere surrounding that star. Image via Zackrisson et al. 2018.
The Gaia mission is currently charting a three-dimensional map of our galaxy, providing unprecedented positional and radial velocity measurements with the highest accuracy ever. The goal is to produce a stereoscopic and kinematic census of about one billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy and throughout the Local Group of galaxies.
As it happens, these data are very useful when searching for Dyson spheres.
Using the parallax distances from the first data release of Gaia, Zackrisson and his colleagues compared that data to previously measured spectrophotometric distances from the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE), which takes spectra of stars in the Milky Way. This resulted in an estimate of what percentage of each star could be blocked by Dyson sphere material.
Illustration of how Gaia is measuring the distances to most stars in the Milky Way with unprecedented accuracy. Image via S. BRUNIER/ESO; GRAPHIC SOURCE: ESA.
Of course, figuring out if any of these could actually be Dyson sphere candidates required further analysis. Zackrisson and his team decided to focus on main-sequence stars (like the sun), spectral types F, G and K, and narrowed those down to those which displayed a potential blocking fraction greater the 0.7. Larger giant stars were removed from the data set since their spectrophotometric distances tend to be overestimated compared to main-sequence stars.
This alone left only six possible candidates. Those in turn were then narrowed down to only two, after eliminating four candidates due to problems with the data itself. One of those, the star TYC 6111-1162-1, was then considered to be the best remaining candidate.
Artist’s concept of Gaia in space. Image via D. DUCROS/ESA.
So… has the first Dyson Sphere been found? The simple answer is we don’t know yet. The star, a garden-variety late-F dwarf, seems to exhibit the sought-after characteristics, but more data is needed. No other glitch-related weirdness was found in the data, but the star was also found to be a binary system consisting of two stars (the other being a small white dwarf) which might explain the results, but none of that is certain yet. Additional study of the star will be required, including using future Gaia data releases, to determine what is really happening here. From the new study:
To shed light on the properties of objects in this outlier population, we present follow-up high-resolution spectroscopy for one of these stars, the late F-type dwarf TYC 6111-1162-1. The spectrophotometric distance of this object is about twice that derived from its Gaia parallax, and there is no detectable infrared excess. While our analysis largely confirms the stellar parameters and the spectrophotometric distance inferred by RAVE, a plausible explanation for the discrepant distance estimates of this object is that the astrometric solution has been compromised by an unseen binary companion, possibly a rather massive white dwarf. This scenario can be further tested through upcoming Gaia data releases.
Read more: What is a Dyson sphere?
A handy illustrated guide to Dyson Spheres – massive structures which could be built to surround a star and harness its energy by an advanced alien civilization. Image via Karl Tate/Space.com.
Bottom line: Discovering an actual Dyson sphere, or something similar, would be incredible. This new study proposes a new method of searching which shows some promise. It’s even possible that a Dyson Sphere-type object has already been found in the preliminary data, but that will require more follow-up to either confirm or disprove. Regardless, this new search method will prove valuable in future searches as well.
Source: SETI with Gaia. The Observational Signatures of Nearly Complete Dyson Spheres
View larger. | Artists’ concept of a Dyson sphere. Notice the little moon or planet on the left side, being ravaged for raw materials. This image – called Shield World Construction – is by Adam Burn. More about it here. Via FantasyWallpapers.com.
When contemplating extraterrestrial intelligence, one of the most tantalizing ideas is that a super-advanced alien civilization could build an enormous structure around its home star, to collect a significant portion of the star’s energy. This hypothetical megastructure is popularly known as a Dyson sphere. It’s a sci-fi-sounding concept, but some scientists have also seriously considered it. This week, a story emerged about how the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission – whose primary purpose is to create a 3D map of our Milky Way galaxy – might be instrumental in the search for Dyson spheres.
In the past, searches for Dyson spheres have focused on looking for signs of excess infrared or heat radiation in the vicinity of a star. That would be a telltale signature, but those attempts have come up empty, so far. The new peer-reviewed study – which was published in the Astrophysical Journal on July 18, 2018, and later described in Astrobites – proposes looking for Dyson spheres with little or no infrared excess. In other words, it describes a technique not attempted before.
Erik Zackrisson at Uppsala University in Sweden led the new study. It focuses on a type of Dyson sphere that would’ve been missed by prior searches focused on infrared radiation.
Suppose you were looking toward a Dyson sphere. What would you see? The visible light of the star would be reduced significantly since the Dyson sphere itself – by its nature – would mostly surround the star for purposes of energy collection. The star would continue shining; it would be shining on the inner portion of the Dyson sphere. Presumably, the star’s radiation would heat the sphere. According to earlier thoughts by scientists on the subject, a Dyson sphere should have a temperature between 50 and 1,000 Kelvin. At that temperature, radiation from the sphere would peak in infrared wavelengths.
That was the earlier idea, until Zackrisson’s study.
An all-sky view of the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies from the Gaia mission. This view includes measurements of nearly 1.7 billion stars. Image via Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC)/A. Moitinho/A. F. Silva/M. Barros/C. Barata – University of Lisbon, Portugal/H. Savietto – Fork Research, Portugal.
His study suggests the possibility that the sphere might be composed of a different kind of material than what had been previously supposed. Suppose this material had the ability to dim the star’s light equally at all wavelengths? That would make it a so-called gray absorber and would significantly affect methods used to search for Dyson spheres. If you measured the star’s distance spectrophotometrically – by comparing the star’s observed flux and spectrum to standard stellar emission models – then the measurements would suggest that the star is farther away than it actually is.
But then if you measured the star’s distance using the parallax method, you’d get a different number. The parallax method compares the apparent movement of a nearby against the star background, as Earth moves from one side of its orbit to another across a period of, say, six months. The size of a Dyson sphere could be determined by comparing the difference in distances between these two methods. The greater the difference, the greater the amount of the star’s surface that is being obscured by the sphere.
Now, thanks to new data from the Gaia mission, astronomers can do these kinds of comparisons, which could – in theory – detect a Dyson sphere. From the new study:
A star enshrouded in a Dyson sphere with a high covering fraction may manifest itself as an optically subluminous object with a spectrophotometric distance estimate significantly in excess of its parallax distance. Using this criterion, the Gaia mission will in coming years allow for Dyson sphere searches that are complementary to searches based on waste-heat signatures at infrared wavelengths. A limited search of this type is also possible at the current time, by combining Gaia parallax distances with spectrophotometric distances from ground-based surveys. Here, we discuss the merits and shortcomings of this technique and carry out a limited search for Dyson sphere candidates in the sample of stars common to Gaia Data Release 1 and Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) Data Release 5. We find that a small fraction of stars indeed display distance discrepancies of the type expected for nearly complete Dyson spheres.
In other words, using this new method, astronomers have found candidate Dyson sphere stars.
Graph showing distribution of covering fractions for all stars in the Gaia-RAVE database overlap (left) and just those stars with less than 10% error in their Gaia parallax distance and less than 20% error in their RAVE spectrophotometric distance (right). If the parallax distance is smaller than the spectrophotometric distance, that is interpreted this as a negative covering fraction, and could be an indication of a Dyson Sphere surrounding that star. Image via Zackrisson et al. 2018.
The Gaia mission is currently charting a three-dimensional map of our galaxy, providing unprecedented positional and radial velocity measurements with the highest accuracy ever. The goal is to produce a stereoscopic and kinematic census of about one billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy and throughout the Local Group of galaxies.
As it happens, these data are very useful when searching for Dyson spheres.
Using the parallax distances from the first data release of Gaia, Zackrisson and his colleagues compared that data to previously measured spectrophotometric distances from the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE), which takes spectra of stars in the Milky Way. This resulted in an estimate of what percentage of each star could be blocked by Dyson sphere material.
Illustration of how Gaia is measuring the distances to most stars in the Milky Way with unprecedented accuracy. Image via S. BRUNIER/ESO; GRAPHIC SOURCE: ESA.
Of course, figuring out if any of these could actually be Dyson sphere candidates required further analysis. Zackrisson and his team decided to focus on main-sequence stars (like the sun), spectral types F, G and K, and narrowed those down to those which displayed a potential blocking fraction greater the 0.7. Larger giant stars were removed from the data set since their spectrophotometric distances tend to be overestimated compared to main-sequence stars.
This alone left only six possible candidates. Those in turn were then narrowed down to only two, after eliminating four candidates due to problems with the data itself. One of those, the star TYC 6111-1162-1, was then considered to be the best remaining candidate.
Artist’s concept of Gaia in space. Image via D. DUCROS/ESA.
So… has the first Dyson Sphere been found? The simple answer is we don’t know yet. The star, a garden-variety late-F dwarf, seems to exhibit the sought-after characteristics, but more data is needed. No other glitch-related weirdness was found in the data, but the star was also found to be a binary system consisting of two stars (the other being a small white dwarf) which might explain the results, but none of that is certain yet. Additional study of the star will be required, including using future Gaia data releases, to determine what is really happening here. From the new study:
To shed light on the properties of objects in this outlier population, we present follow-up high-resolution spectroscopy for one of these stars, the late F-type dwarf TYC 6111-1162-1. The spectrophotometric distance of this object is about twice that derived from its Gaia parallax, and there is no detectable infrared excess. While our analysis largely confirms the stellar parameters and the spectrophotometric distance inferred by RAVE, a plausible explanation for the discrepant distance estimates of this object is that the astrometric solution has been compromised by an unseen binary companion, possibly a rather massive white dwarf. This scenario can be further tested through upcoming Gaia data releases.
Read more: What is a Dyson sphere?
A handy illustrated guide to Dyson Spheres – massive structures which could be built to surround a star and harness its energy by an advanced alien civilization. Image via Karl Tate/Space.com.
Bottom line: Discovering an actual Dyson sphere, or something similar, would be incredible. This new study proposes a new method of searching which shows some promise. It’s even possible that a Dyson Sphere-type object has already been found in the preliminary data, but that will require more follow-up to either confirm or disprove. Regardless, this new search method will prove valuable in future searches as well.
Source: SETI with Gaia. The Observational Signatures of Nearly Complete Dyson Spheres
An artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere, built by an advanced civilization to capture the energy of a star. Image via CapnHack, via energyphysics.wikispaces.com.
First step toward a Dyson sphere? Image via Flickr user langalex.
Proponents of solar power know that only a tiny fraction of the sun’s total energy strikes the Earth. What if we, as a civilization, could collect all of the sun’s energy? If so, we would use some form of Dyson sphere, sometimes referred to as a Dyson shell or megastructure. Physicist and astronomer Freeman J. Dyson first explored this idea as a thought experiment in 1960. Dyson’s two-page paper in the journal Science was titled Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation because he was imagining a solar-system-sized solar power collection system not as a power source for us earthlings, but as a technology that other advanced civilizations in our galaxy would, inevitably, use. Dyson proposed that searching for evidence of the existence of such structures might lead to the discovery of advanced civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy.
Freeman Dyson at the Long Now Seminar, San Francisco, October 5, 2005. Photo by Jacob Appelbaum/Wikimedia Commons.
In recent years, astronomers explored that possibility with a bizarre star, known to astronomers as KIC 8462852 – more popularly called Tabby’s Star for its discoverer Tabetha Boyajian. This star’s strange light was originally thought to indicate a possible Dyson sphere. That idea has been discarded, but, in 2018, other possibilities emerged, such as that of using the Gaia mission to search for Dyson spheres.
All of this is just to say that Dyson spheres – while in the realm of science fiction and scientific possibility during the 20th century – now seem real enough to astronomers that some are scrutinizing particular stars, looking for signs of them.
The central dot in this image represents a star. The simplest form of Dyson sphere might begin as a ring of solar power collectors, at a distance from a star of, say, 100 million miles. This configuration is sometimes called a Dyson ring. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
So what are these odd megastructures, these Dyson spheres? Originally, some envisioned a Dyson sphere as an artificial hollow sphere of matter around a star, and Dyson did originally use the word shell. But Dyson didn’t picture the energy-collectors in a solid shell. In an exchange of letters in Science with other scientists, following his 1960 Science article, Dyson wrote:
A solid shell or ring surrounding a star is mechanically impossible. The form of ‘biosphere’ which I envisaged consists of a loose collection or swarm of objects traveling on independent orbits around the star.
As time passed, a civilization might continue to add Dyson rings to the space around its star, creating a relatively simple, but incredibly powerful, Dyson sphere. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
A Dyson sphere might be, say, the size of Earth’s orbit around the sun; we orbit at a distance of 93 million miles (about 150 million km). The website SentientDevelopments describes the Dyson sphere this way:
It would consist of a shell of solar collectors (or habitats) around the star. With this model, all (or at least a significant amount) of the energy would hit a receiving surface where it can be used. [Dyson] speculated that such structures would be the logical consequence of the long-term survival and escalating energy needs of a technological civilization.
And of course science fiction writers have had a field day writing about Dyson spheres. Dyson himself admitted he borrowed from science fiction before he began his technical exploration of the idea of a megastructure gathering energy from its star. Olaf Stapledon first mentioned this idea in his 1937 science fiction novel Star Maker, which Dyson apparently read and used as inspiration.
View larger. | Eventually, as a civilization evolves – aided by the boundless energy gathered from its star – its surrounding Dyson sphere will surely evolve as well, in ways that are hard to predict. This artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere is via SentientDevelopments.com.
What might astronomers look for, in the search for evidence of Dyson spheres in the space of our Milky Way galaxy? Even before the discovery of KIC 8462852 – feeling frustrated by decades of seeking radio signals from intelligent civilizations beyond Earth, and not finding any – a few astronomers in 2013 were contemplating new search strategy. Consider that if a system of solar power collectors – a megastructure – were put in place around a star, the star’s light, as seen from our perspective, would be altered. The solar collectors would absorb and reradiate energy from the star. Astronomers have spoken of seeking that reradiated energy.
Stephen Battersby at New Scientist wrote a great article about how astronomers search for Dyson sphere, using reradiated energy, released in April 2013. The article is available by subscription only, but if you search on the title (“Alien megaprojects: The hunt has begun”), you might find an alternative link.
There’s also a very cool diagram published in New Scientist that helps explain astronomers’ new search, which you can see here.
In 2018, scientists began speaking of using the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission to seek Dyson spheres. Read about that possibility here.
View larger. | Artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere. Notice the little moon or planet on the left side, being ravaged for raw materials. This image – called Shield World Construction – is by Adam Burn. More about it here. Via FantasyWallpapers.com.
Bottom line: A Dyson sphere would consist of orbiting solar collectors in the space around the star of an advanced civilization. The goal would be to ensure a significant fraction of the star’s energy hits a receiving surface where it could be used to the civilization’s benefit. Freeman J. Dyson, who in 1960 became the first scientist to explore this concept, suggested that this method of energy collection be inevitable for advanced civilizations.
How to build a Dyson sphere in five (relatively) easy steps
An artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere, built by an advanced civilization to capture the energy of a star. Image via CapnHack, via energyphysics.wikispaces.com.
First step toward a Dyson sphere? Image via Flickr user langalex.
Proponents of solar power know that only a tiny fraction of the sun’s total energy strikes the Earth. What if we, as a civilization, could collect all of the sun’s energy? If so, we would use some form of Dyson sphere, sometimes referred to as a Dyson shell or megastructure. Physicist and astronomer Freeman J. Dyson first explored this idea as a thought experiment in 1960. Dyson’s two-page paper in the journal Science was titled Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation because he was imagining a solar-system-sized solar power collection system not as a power source for us earthlings, but as a technology that other advanced civilizations in our galaxy would, inevitably, use. Dyson proposed that searching for evidence of the existence of such structures might lead to the discovery of advanced civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy.
Freeman Dyson at the Long Now Seminar, San Francisco, October 5, 2005. Photo by Jacob Appelbaum/Wikimedia Commons.
In recent years, astronomers explored that possibility with a bizarre star, known to astronomers as KIC 8462852 – more popularly called Tabby’s Star for its discoverer Tabetha Boyajian. This star’s strange light was originally thought to indicate a possible Dyson sphere. That idea has been discarded, but, in 2018, other possibilities emerged, such as that of using the Gaia mission to search for Dyson spheres.
All of this is just to say that Dyson spheres – while in the realm of science fiction and scientific possibility during the 20th century – now seem real enough to astronomers that some are scrutinizing particular stars, looking for signs of them.
The central dot in this image represents a star. The simplest form of Dyson sphere might begin as a ring of solar power collectors, at a distance from a star of, say, 100 million miles. This configuration is sometimes called a Dyson ring. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
So what are these odd megastructures, these Dyson spheres? Originally, some envisioned a Dyson sphere as an artificial hollow sphere of matter around a star, and Dyson did originally use the word shell. But Dyson didn’t picture the energy-collectors in a solid shell. In an exchange of letters in Science with other scientists, following his 1960 Science article, Dyson wrote:
A solid shell or ring surrounding a star is mechanically impossible. The form of ‘biosphere’ which I envisaged consists of a loose collection or swarm of objects traveling on independent orbits around the star.
As time passed, a civilization might continue to add Dyson rings to the space around its star, creating a relatively simple, but incredibly powerful, Dyson sphere. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
A Dyson sphere might be, say, the size of Earth’s orbit around the sun; we orbit at a distance of 93 million miles (about 150 million km). The website SentientDevelopments describes the Dyson sphere this way:
It would consist of a shell of solar collectors (or habitats) around the star. With this model, all (or at least a significant amount) of the energy would hit a receiving surface where it can be used. [Dyson] speculated that such structures would be the logical consequence of the long-term survival and escalating energy needs of a technological civilization.
And of course science fiction writers have had a field day writing about Dyson spheres. Dyson himself admitted he borrowed from science fiction before he began his technical exploration of the idea of a megastructure gathering energy from its star. Olaf Stapledon first mentioned this idea in his 1937 science fiction novel Star Maker, which Dyson apparently read and used as inspiration.
View larger. | Eventually, as a civilization evolves – aided by the boundless energy gathered from its star – its surrounding Dyson sphere will surely evolve as well, in ways that are hard to predict. This artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere is via SentientDevelopments.com.
What might astronomers look for, in the search for evidence of Dyson spheres in the space of our Milky Way galaxy? Even before the discovery of KIC 8462852 – feeling frustrated by decades of seeking radio signals from intelligent civilizations beyond Earth, and not finding any – a few astronomers in 2013 were contemplating new search strategy. Consider that if a system of solar power collectors – a megastructure – were put in place around a star, the star’s light, as seen from our perspective, would be altered. The solar collectors would absorb and reradiate energy from the star. Astronomers have spoken of seeking that reradiated energy.
Stephen Battersby at New Scientist wrote a great article about how astronomers search for Dyson sphere, using reradiated energy, released in April 2013. The article is available by subscription only, but if you search on the title (“Alien megaprojects: The hunt has begun”), you might find an alternative link.
There’s also a very cool diagram published in New Scientist that helps explain astronomers’ new search, which you can see here.
In 2018, scientists began speaking of using the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission to seek Dyson spheres. Read about that possibility here.
View larger. | Artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere. Notice the little moon or planet on the left side, being ravaged for raw materials. This image – called Shield World Construction – is by Adam Burn. More about it here. Via FantasyWallpapers.com.
Bottom line: A Dyson sphere would consist of orbiting solar collectors in the space around the star of an advanced civilization. The goal would be to ensure a significant fraction of the star’s energy hits a receiving surface where it could be used to the civilization’s benefit. Freeman J. Dyson, who in 1960 became the first scientist to explore this concept, suggested that this method of energy collection be inevitable for advanced civilizations.
How to build a Dyson sphere in five (relatively) easy steps
Brexit dominated the headlines last week, as the Government published the first in a series of plans for how it will respond if the UK doesn’t reach a deal with the European Union by the end of this year – a so-called ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
If there is no deal, the planned 18 months in which the UK would keep EU laws so organisations and business can adapt would be lost, and on March 29 the UK would stop being an EU member overnight. The standards and rules for how the UK trades and cooperates with the EU would also immediately stop applying.
So how would a no-deal Brexit affect cancer patients and research?
The key areas for cancer patients and research in the latest batch of notices were the supply of cancer medicines, approving new drugs and clinical trials.
Now, the UK follows the EU on the licensing of new medicines, ensuring patients have swift access to safe and effective new treatments as soon as they come to market.
The UK also works with EU countries on clinical trials. This is particularly important for rare and childhood cancers, when there often aren’t enough patients in an individual country to run trials that are big enough to give clear results.
A big concern is that losing this cooperation could lead to delays for UK patients getting the newest medicines, or hinder international clinical trials where patients get access to the most innovative treatments.
And from the notices released last week, the Government seem to agree. They confirm that, even if there is no deal, the UK will continue to use EU standards on medicines and clinical trials in the short term. This should mean UK patients can continue to access vital treatments whatever happens.
But even with these steps, the notices make clear that a no deal would still cause disruption – and that drugs companies should stockpile medicines just in case.
We’re expecting around 50 further no deal notices, released in two more batches in September.
One issue we’ll be keeping an eye on is immigration. Free movement around Europe is essential for cancer research, allowing scientists to work in and collaborate with labs in different countries.
About half of the researchers and PhD students we fund are from outside of the UK. And we’d like the Government to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK, to end the uncertainty for our scientists and make sure that vital cancer research can continue.
And while preparing for a no deal is important, the priority now for both the UK and the EU is to reach a deal. They were hoping to have this done by the middle of October, when European leaders meet in Brussels for a summit. But progress has been slower than expected, and a deal is more likely to come in November or even December.
This deal would sort out the transition period and allow business to go on largely as normal after March 29. This would be much better for cancer patients than a no deal, ensuring that they continue to have access to new treatments and opportunities to join clinical trials.
After this deal is reached the UK and EU would go back to negotiations, fleshing out the details of the future relationship. Big issues like trade will then be decided, alongside how the UK works with the EU on medicines, research and health.
Mark Heffernan is a public affairs manager at Cancer Research UK
Brexit dominated the headlines last week, as the Government published the first in a series of plans for how it will respond if the UK doesn’t reach a deal with the European Union by the end of this year – a so-called ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
If there is no deal, the planned 18 months in which the UK would keep EU laws so organisations and business can adapt would be lost, and on March 29 the UK would stop being an EU member overnight. The standards and rules for how the UK trades and cooperates with the EU would also immediately stop applying.
So how would a no-deal Brexit affect cancer patients and research?
The key areas for cancer patients and research in the latest batch of notices were the supply of cancer medicines, approving new drugs and clinical trials.
Now, the UK follows the EU on the licensing of new medicines, ensuring patients have swift access to safe and effective new treatments as soon as they come to market.
The UK also works with EU countries on clinical trials. This is particularly important for rare and childhood cancers, when there often aren’t enough patients in an individual country to run trials that are big enough to give clear results.
A big concern is that losing this cooperation could lead to delays for UK patients getting the newest medicines, or hinder international clinical trials where patients get access to the most innovative treatments.
And from the notices released last week, the Government seem to agree. They confirm that, even if there is no deal, the UK will continue to use EU standards on medicines and clinical trials in the short term. This should mean UK patients can continue to access vital treatments whatever happens.
But even with these steps, the notices make clear that a no deal would still cause disruption – and that drugs companies should stockpile medicines just in case.
We’re expecting around 50 further no deal notices, released in two more batches in September.
One issue we’ll be keeping an eye on is immigration. Free movement around Europe is essential for cancer research, allowing scientists to work in and collaborate with labs in different countries.
About half of the researchers and PhD students we fund are from outside of the UK. And we’d like the Government to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK, to end the uncertainty for our scientists and make sure that vital cancer research can continue.
And while preparing for a no deal is important, the priority now for both the UK and the EU is to reach a deal. They were hoping to have this done by the middle of October, when European leaders meet in Brussels for a summit. But progress has been slower than expected, and a deal is more likely to come in November or even December.
This deal would sort out the transition period and allow business to go on largely as normal after March 29. This would be much better for cancer patients than a no deal, ensuring that they continue to have access to new treatments and opportunities to join clinical trials.
After this deal is reached the UK and EU would go back to negotiations, fleshing out the details of the future relationship. Big issues like trade will then be decided, alongside how the UK works with the EU on medicines, research and health.
Mark Heffernan is a public affairs manager at Cancer Research UK
Tonight, if you have dark sky, try star-hopping to the Andromeda galaxy from the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. If your sky is truly dark, you might even spot this hazy patch of light with no optical aid, as the ancient stargazers did before the days of light pollution.
What if your sky is more lit up, and you can’t find the Andromeda galaxy with the eyes alone? Some stargazers use binoculars and star-hop to the Andromeda galaxy via this W-shaped constellation.
Cassiopeia appears in the northeast sky at nightfall and early evening, then swings upward as evening deepens into late night. In the wee hours before dawn, Cassiopeia is found high over Polaris, the North Star. Note that one half of the W is more deeply notched than the other half. This deeper V is your “arrow” in the sky, pointing to the Andromeda galaxy.
The Andromeda galaxy is the nearest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way. It’s about 2.5 million light-years away, teeming with hundreds of billions of stars.
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View larger. | Josh Blash shot this in 2014. He wrote, “M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. I used 29 frames shot at 90mm and tracked for 60 seconds each, then stacked them using the DeepSkyStacker software.” See more photos by Josh Blash on Facebook.
View larger. | Draw an imaginary line from the star Kappa Cassiopeiae (abbreviated Kappa) through the star Schedar, then go about 3 times the Kappa-Schedar distance to locate the Andromeda galaxy (Messier 31).
Bottom line: You can find the Andromeda galaxy using the constellation Cassiopeia as a guide. Remember, on a dark night, this galaxy looks like a faint smudge of light. Once you’ve found it with the unaided eye or binoculars, try with a telescope – if you have one.
Use the Great Square of Pegasus to find the Andromeda galaxy
Tonight, if you have dark sky, try star-hopping to the Andromeda galaxy from the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. If your sky is truly dark, you might even spot this hazy patch of light with no optical aid, as the ancient stargazers did before the days of light pollution.
What if your sky is more lit up, and you can’t find the Andromeda galaxy with the eyes alone? Some stargazers use binoculars and star-hop to the Andromeda galaxy via this W-shaped constellation.
Cassiopeia appears in the northeast sky at nightfall and early evening, then swings upward as evening deepens into late night. In the wee hours before dawn, Cassiopeia is found high over Polaris, the North Star. Note that one half of the W is more deeply notched than the other half. This deeper V is your “arrow” in the sky, pointing to the Andromeda galaxy.
The Andromeda galaxy is the nearest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way. It’s about 2.5 million light-years away, teeming with hundreds of billions of stars.
Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!
View larger. | Josh Blash shot this in 2014. He wrote, “M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. I used 29 frames shot at 90mm and tracked for 60 seconds each, then stacked them using the DeepSkyStacker software.” See more photos by Josh Blash on Facebook.
View larger. | Draw an imaginary line from the star Kappa Cassiopeiae (abbreviated Kappa) through the star Schedar, then go about 3 times the Kappa-Schedar distance to locate the Andromeda galaxy (Messier 31).
Bottom line: You can find the Andromeda galaxy using the constellation Cassiopeia as a guide. Remember, on a dark night, this galaxy looks like a faint smudge of light. Once you’ve found it with the unaided eye or binoculars, try with a telescope – if you have one.
Use the Great Square of Pegasus to find the Andromeda galaxy
Artist’s concept of a binary or double star system, where the 2 stars are merging. Could an alien civilization use neutron star mergers to communicate across space? Image via NSF/LIGO/Sonoma State University/A. Simonnet.
When it comes to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) most people think first of searches using radio telescopes to look for signals from distant alien civilizations. Other possibilities – such as optical SETI, which searches for extraterrestrial laser pulses – have become more popular in recent years as well. After all, as many people argue, why would an advanced civilization limit itself to using just radio? Now researchers in Japan offer a different and intriguing approach to SETI. What about looking for signals that have been synchronized with two merging neutron stars?
Other scientists are taking this idea seriously enough to enable its publication in a major journal. The work passed peer-review and was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters – aka ApJ Letters – on August 1, 2018.
The overriding problem with SETI is that there is simply so much space, literally, to search. What are the best places to look? And when should we be looking?
The idea of communicating via binary (double) star mergers sounds far-out, but the premise is pretty simple. The ETs could deliberately time a communication so that it coincides with a very noticeable and natural, but transient, cosmic event – like a supernova or gamma-ray burst – thinking that telescopes of other (semi-advanced) civilizations, such as ours on Earth, might be pointed toward such an event. Writing in ApJ Letters, the authors said:
We discuss the possibility of receiving a radio signal from extra-galactic intelligence, around the time when we observe a binary neutron star merger in their galaxy. High-precession measurements of the binary parameters would allow them to send the signal ~104 years before they themselves observe the merger signal. Using the SKA, we might receive ~104 bits of data, transmitted from 40 Mpc away with an output power of ~1TW.
In other words, what these scientists have done is look at the numbers, trying to set the parameters for the possibility of ET communications via binary star mergers, in case such communication does exist.
Schematic showing how an ET civilization in another galaxy could use a binary merger of 2 neutron stars to help send a radio signal, in such a way that the signal would arrive at the same time as the natural signal from the merger itself. Image via Nishino & Seto 2018.
One caveat is that such a civilization would need to be able to predict precisely when the next usable binary neutron star merge was going to happen. They’d need that knowledge so that their signal could be timed to arrive at the same time as the natural signal, if, say, they wanted to send their signal to a specific place (like Earth), a place that they’d already have determined to have radio communication, at least.
For most such natural events, that knowledge would be difficult. But an interesting possibility stands out – the electromagnetic and gravitational-wave radiation from a binary merger (the merger of two neutron stars) – believed to be a relatively common phenomenon in the universe. The new study, led by Yuki Nishino and Naoki Seto, examines the possibility of an ET civilization synchronizing their artificial signal with a natural signal from a binary neutron star merger.
Chart showing the orbital decay of the binary neutron star PSR B1913+16. Astronomers have used the timing of its radio pulses to precisely measure the rate of decay over decades. Using this same information, an ET civilization could predict when the 2 stas in the binary system would eventually merge. Then they’d be able to synchronize their artificial signal with this natural signal. Image via Inductiveload.
So just how can such a merger be predicted? Neutron stars are sometimes seen by us on Earth as pulsars. In other words, sometimes one or both stars are seen to emit pulses of light. By measuring the exact timing of pulsars in a binary neutron star system, it’s possible to measure the orbit and decay rate of the orbits of the two stars. With that information, astronomers can calculate when the two stars will merge.
Presumably ET astronomers can do this same measurement and calculation. They could then send their artificial signal, timing it to arrive at same time as the gravitational-wave burst from the merger. A known signal from space – thought to be a signal from a neutron star binary merger – is the one labeled GW170817. Writing in ApJ Letters, the authors said:
When searching for an artificial signal from an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), a central concern is how efficiently we can decrease the parameter space under examination. These circumstances would be inversely understood by the ETI, and they would carefully arrange the timing and direction of the transmissions. In this Letter, we have pointed out that a binary neutron star merger in their galaxy could be an ideal event for the signal synchronization. This is because the ETI would be able to estimate the location and the epoch of the highly energetic event in advance. Most optimistically, we might actually find an artificial signal by reanalyzing the electromagnetic data already taken from GW170817. Additionally, the LIGO-Virgo network will start the next observational run in early 2019, and a new binary neutron star merger might be identified. The early and deep radio observation for its host galaxy might also be worth considering from the perspective of SETI.
Yes, all of this sounds like science fiction. But it is a communication method that could work, at least theoretically. The amount of power needed to send such a signal however would be far beyond what we can do right now, but could be feasible for a much more advanced ET civilization. Nishino and Seto calculate, for example, that for a civilization in a galaxy 130 million light-years away, ten megabytes of data could be sent to a receiver similar to the Square Kilometer Array on Earth, using a powerful ~1 terawatt radio transmitter. One terawatt is equal to about 10% of the current energy consumption on all of Earth. Using that amount of energy has been contemplated, even by us puny earthlings.
So the new work of Yuki Nishino and Naoki Seto is intriguing, to say the least, even if seemingly bizarre. Could highly advanced ETs use a transmitter more powerful than any on Earth to send a communication signal deep into the cosmos, perhaps even to other galaxies, with the help of one of the most intense natural cosmic phenomena known to exist?
As a Disney employee once said, if you can dream it, you can do it. Perhaps ETs have that saying also!
Telescopic images of binary merger GW170817, post-merger. Image via oares-Santos et al./DES Collaboration.
Traditional SETI uses large radio telescopes such as the one at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. A much more powerful transmitter would be needed to send a signal in a way that the new study proposes. Image via GDA/AP Images.
Bottom line: Communicating across deep space, especially between galaxies, isn’t easy. A new study suggests it might be easier with the help of binary mergers of neutron stars. It’s a radical idea, but a fascinating one.
Artist’s concept of a binary or double star system, where the 2 stars are merging. Could an alien civilization use neutron star mergers to communicate across space? Image via NSF/LIGO/Sonoma State University/A. Simonnet.
When it comes to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) most people think first of searches using radio telescopes to look for signals from distant alien civilizations. Other possibilities – such as optical SETI, which searches for extraterrestrial laser pulses – have become more popular in recent years as well. After all, as many people argue, why would an advanced civilization limit itself to using just radio? Now researchers in Japan offer a different and intriguing approach to SETI. What about looking for signals that have been synchronized with two merging neutron stars?
Other scientists are taking this idea seriously enough to enable its publication in a major journal. The work passed peer-review and was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters – aka ApJ Letters – on August 1, 2018.
The overriding problem with SETI is that there is simply so much space, literally, to search. What are the best places to look? And when should we be looking?
The idea of communicating via binary (double) star mergers sounds far-out, but the premise is pretty simple. The ETs could deliberately time a communication so that it coincides with a very noticeable and natural, but transient, cosmic event – like a supernova or gamma-ray burst – thinking that telescopes of other (semi-advanced) civilizations, such as ours on Earth, might be pointed toward such an event. Writing in ApJ Letters, the authors said:
We discuss the possibility of receiving a radio signal from extra-galactic intelligence, around the time when we observe a binary neutron star merger in their galaxy. High-precession measurements of the binary parameters would allow them to send the signal ~104 years before they themselves observe the merger signal. Using the SKA, we might receive ~104 bits of data, transmitted from 40 Mpc away with an output power of ~1TW.
In other words, what these scientists have done is look at the numbers, trying to set the parameters for the possibility of ET communications via binary star mergers, in case such communication does exist.
Schematic showing how an ET civilization in another galaxy could use a binary merger of 2 neutron stars to help send a radio signal, in such a way that the signal would arrive at the same time as the natural signal from the merger itself. Image via Nishino & Seto 2018.
One caveat is that such a civilization would need to be able to predict precisely when the next usable binary neutron star merge was going to happen. They’d need that knowledge so that their signal could be timed to arrive at the same time as the natural signal, if, say, they wanted to send their signal to a specific place (like Earth), a place that they’d already have determined to have radio communication, at least.
For most such natural events, that knowledge would be difficult. But an interesting possibility stands out – the electromagnetic and gravitational-wave radiation from a binary merger (the merger of two neutron stars) – believed to be a relatively common phenomenon in the universe. The new study, led by Yuki Nishino and Naoki Seto, examines the possibility of an ET civilization synchronizing their artificial signal with a natural signal from a binary neutron star merger.
Chart showing the orbital decay of the binary neutron star PSR B1913+16. Astronomers have used the timing of its radio pulses to precisely measure the rate of decay over decades. Using this same information, an ET civilization could predict when the 2 stas in the binary system would eventually merge. Then they’d be able to synchronize their artificial signal with this natural signal. Image via Inductiveload.
So just how can such a merger be predicted? Neutron stars are sometimes seen by us on Earth as pulsars. In other words, sometimes one or both stars are seen to emit pulses of light. By measuring the exact timing of pulsars in a binary neutron star system, it’s possible to measure the orbit and decay rate of the orbits of the two stars. With that information, astronomers can calculate when the two stars will merge.
Presumably ET astronomers can do this same measurement and calculation. They could then send their artificial signal, timing it to arrive at same time as the gravitational-wave burst from the merger. A known signal from space – thought to be a signal from a neutron star binary merger – is the one labeled GW170817. Writing in ApJ Letters, the authors said:
When searching for an artificial signal from an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), a central concern is how efficiently we can decrease the parameter space under examination. These circumstances would be inversely understood by the ETI, and they would carefully arrange the timing and direction of the transmissions. In this Letter, we have pointed out that a binary neutron star merger in their galaxy could be an ideal event for the signal synchronization. This is because the ETI would be able to estimate the location and the epoch of the highly energetic event in advance. Most optimistically, we might actually find an artificial signal by reanalyzing the electromagnetic data already taken from GW170817. Additionally, the LIGO-Virgo network will start the next observational run in early 2019, and a new binary neutron star merger might be identified. The early and deep radio observation for its host galaxy might also be worth considering from the perspective of SETI.
Yes, all of this sounds like science fiction. But it is a communication method that could work, at least theoretically. The amount of power needed to send such a signal however would be far beyond what we can do right now, but could be feasible for a much more advanced ET civilization. Nishino and Seto calculate, for example, that for a civilization in a galaxy 130 million light-years away, ten megabytes of data could be sent to a receiver similar to the Square Kilometer Array on Earth, using a powerful ~1 terawatt radio transmitter. One terawatt is equal to about 10% of the current energy consumption on all of Earth. Using that amount of energy has been contemplated, even by us puny earthlings.
So the new work of Yuki Nishino and Naoki Seto is intriguing, to say the least, even if seemingly bizarre. Could highly advanced ETs use a transmitter more powerful than any on Earth to send a communication signal deep into the cosmos, perhaps even to other galaxies, with the help of one of the most intense natural cosmic phenomena known to exist?
As a Disney employee once said, if you can dream it, you can do it. Perhaps ETs have that saying also!
Telescopic images of binary merger GW170817, post-merger. Image via oares-Santos et al./DES Collaboration.
Traditional SETI uses large radio telescopes such as the one at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. A much more powerful transmitter would be needed to send a signal in a way that the new study proposes. Image via GDA/AP Images.
Bottom line: Communicating across deep space, especially between galaxies, isn’t easy. A new study suggests it might be easier with the help of binary mergers of neutron stars. It’s a radical idea, but a fascinating one.
